New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Biden adviser stresses need for minorities to get vaccinated
NEW HAVEN — The Rev. Elvin Clayton’s granddaughter asked for one thing from him for Christmas — a visit from her grandparents.
But he couldn’t give that to her because of the pandemic. His congregation also couldn’t gather for services.
It’s been a dark time for many, Clayton noted.
But there is a “bright line shining at the end of the tunnel,” he said, as vaccines become available and society starts to be able to resume somewhat normal patterns of life.
“It’s a difficult thing when you can’t gather for worship, to worship a
God in times of death, and we pastors can no longer hold the hands of parishioners and loved ones and comfort families,” said Clayton. “This will pass pretty soon, we hope. We are rising.”
Clayton, pastor of St. Stephens AME ZION Church in Bridgeport, and Yale-affiliated officials
spoke this week in an effort to allay community fears, as they spoke of the importance of getting black and brown residents to register for inoculation against COVID-19.
Marcella Nunez-Smith, an associate dean at Yale and cochairwoman of President Joe Biden’s coronavirus advisory board, said we, collectively, needed to help people become more confident in the vaccine and provide more immediate access, so that people can receive the medication without having to actively pursue it.
“Right now, we see people chasing vaccines. That’s what happening. Everyone’s sitting with eight computers and refreshing,” said Nunez-Smith. “Pretty soon, vaccines are going to have to find people.”
Nunez-Smith said the Biden administration was working to help with mobile vaccination units and provide vaccinations to local pharmacies, so people can receive the medication whenever they’re ready.
The Rev. Leroy Perry, pastor at St. Stephens AME ZION Church in Branford, said he and Clayton, both Yale cultural ambassadors, had taken part in clinical trials for the Pfizer vaccine, in part to help inspire confidence.
“Part of the reason that we took part in the study was to say to our communities that we thought this was an important step for all of us. And we wanted to show, and to have them see, that we believed in it enough to take it, that it was safe, and it was critical, particularly for our population that was being impacted in such a dramatic way,” said Perry. “I tell all my friends and all my congregants — I got the shot. That’s good news. That’s gospel news.”
Perry said there are challenges faced by members of the Black community in America. Some seniors do not have the technology necessary to access Zoom, email, to book medicine appointments; some men, returning from prison, seeking to care for their children, face a lack of possibilities because of their records.
There is a sense of hopelessness among struggling people, he said — death becomes less important.
“I think COVID has impacted all of our communities, but I think for minorities, it’s hit us three, four times as hard, with regards to unemployment, with regards to housing, with regards to stress,” said Perry. “It’s devastating. If there was any time in America when America needs to come together and start from the bottom up, this is that time.”
Nancy Brown, dean of the Yale School of Medicine, said Black and Hispanic Americans had been three times more likely to be hospitalized during the pandemic, and twice as likely to die of the disease.
Dr. Thomas Balcezak, vice president of the Yale New Haven Health System, said the coronavirus had compelled the community to come together in remarkable ways, as health care providers met the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic.
Since Dec. 15, 2020, the health system has vaccinated approximately 70,000 people with the required two doses and another roughly 30,000 with the first, Balcezak said.
The vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna require two shots, while the newer Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires only one.
Earlier this month, Yale New Haven officials said more than 75 percent of those vaccinated by the health system had been Caucasian.
About 15 percent had been Latino; 10 percent African American; and “high single digits” of Asian Americans, Balcezak said at the time.
The health system has worked to provide access to people of color by placing vaccination sites in the community, including at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven, Balcezak said Thursday. But it can be difficult for people to navigate the process of booking an appointment.
He suggested that people struggling call 211, where state officials will direct people to the closest opportunity, or 833-ASK-YNHH, where hospital officials will lend a hand.
“But still, we’re not making the progress we’d like to see. We’re going to have to be smarter; we’re going to have to listen to our communities about how we’re going to (improve) registration,” said Balcezak.
Dr. Onyema Ogbuagu, associate professor of medicine at Yale, said the long-term efficacy of the vaccines still is being studied, as clinical trials for the vaccine would still be going on for years.
At this point, based on the early data and without a disease variant that points to a different conclusion, he said the scientific community believes people should be protected by the vaccine without a booster for at least the next year or so.
Clayton said he was unafraid of receiving the vaccine, as the clinical trial had been going on for a time. He realized later that he had actually received the vaccine, not a placebo.
“And boy, that was a happy day,” said Clayton. “I did this because, early on, there were few people of color that participated in the study . ... I think (Perry and I) did a little (to) help our cause, and because of it, I think our community, and the world, have been helped.”
In response to a question about undocumented immigrants, Nunez-Smith noted there is no immigration activity at vaccination sites and data is not shared with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, among others.
She said the country needs to stop asking people about their citizenship status or mandating identification, as both provide structural barriers for people seeking vaccination.
“We talk about vaccine confidence. The questions people have about vaccination are going to be really unique,” said Nunez-Smith. “These messages have to be tailored . ... How do we make sure that we’re addressing all of these different concerns, and people are hearing this from people they trust?”
Perry said he had been struck by the fact that three major vaccines had been developed, given that three is an important number in the Bible.
“We’re just urging everyone to take this vaccine,” said Perry. “To trust, in this pandemic, the best solution that all of our great minds have come up with.”
The complete forum has been posted for public consideration on the Facebook page for Clinical Research at Yale.